With Straight Talk unlimited launching nationwide as a Walmart exclusive-project in 3200 stores with their new $45 unlimited everything plan and an 8 phone lineup and a week later or so T-mobile Project: Black to be revealed with quite possibly a $50 unlimited everthing plan, 3G up to 21 megabit hspa network expansion , and new handsets with even rumors of iphone support or even the iphone itself ( I think Att still has the contract for exclusivity so I am not giving that part of the rumor as much credence as the rest...),it is supposed to be big.

What are the points of view out there on the effects it will have on the wireless industry both pre paid and postpaid. I think

1)Sprint will scramble as they are losing people anyway. They will have to stop doddling with the VM merger and get it done. Fast.

2)Att will lose people if the iphone support is there. But I think that is just a rumor. As the current Att iphones do not support Tmobile 3G.
But as a gsm network, Tmobile is the only one that iphone users can really defect to aside from smaller regionals. If Tmobile actually gets the iphone (which is highly unlikely), Att will be hurting very badly, especially in areas where their coverage is roughly equal.

3)Straight Talk will help Verizon and hurt them. They will probably end up taking their name off of the prouduct like they said they would at the end of their six month branding trial. I see Verizon revamping their anemic prepaid offerings.

4)Metro and Cricket stocks will again tumble and stay down. They will finally have to merge.

5)There will be a general round of price matching and cutting. The new standard of pricing will be in the 40s rather then 50 dollars.
Companies will have to offer more for the same amount.

6)Page Plus will continue to do well if they match ST.

7)Smaller companies like Tuyo, STI, Ready Mobile, Total Call will suffer unless they are catering to niche markets.

8)Consumers will win again.

9)Dealers profit margins will go down. There will be more money to be made in handsets then on selling plans. Many dealers will increase the number of carriers in their portfolio to survive. Whoever is hot, they will carry. That will vary from month to month.

10)Postpaid plans will also be heavily affected, especially from Tmobile and Project Black.

These are just best guesses based on what I know and my own opinions. If others have other views or possible scenarios, bring them up. This will be interesting to see develop...

Well for HoFoers....but the rest of the world? Who else knows about "Project Black" or Straight Talk or Page Plus? I never heard of any of them until I joined HoFo. If I was without HoFo, I would not know what any of them were.

2)Att will lose people if the iphone support is there. But I think that is just a rumor. As the current Att iphones do not support Tmobile 3G.
But as a gsm network, Tmobile is the only one that iphone users can really defect to aside from smaller regionals. If Tmobile actually gets the iphone (which is highly unlikely), Att will be hurting very badly, especially in areas where their coverage is roughly equal.

[/QUOTE]

Verizon wireless (the best company in the U.S. ) will get the iphone next year to go along with their 4G network. ATT contract is up December 31, 2009 ... So, ATT will have to worry about Verizon not T-mobile. The main reason Verizon didn't want the iphone when Apple offered it to them in the beginning was they felt they wanted a much better network to add the iphone in which they have with true 4G... Verizon is the ONLY company that actually spends money to improve their network regard than get the nice looking phones . Always remember what's a phone without service? Just a nice phone.. Service over phones any day with Verizon ... Watch and see...

I've been dealing with Cricket trying to get a broadband modem for my laptop.
I've been in their store down the street several times in the last few weeks. No matter what time of the day I go there there is always a crowd of customers and anywhere from 4-6 ppl waiting on them. You have to put your name on a list by the door to get in "line".
The only thing I know about Cricket is the limited knowledge I've gleaned about the modem but in my neighborhood they seem to be quite well.

[QUOTE=battmann]2)Att will lose people if the iphone support is there. But I think that is just a rumor. As the current Att iphones do not support Tmobile 3G.
But as a gsm network, Tmobile is the only one that iphone users can really defect to aside from smaller regionals. If Tmobile actually gets the iphone (which is highly unlikely), Att will be hurting very badly, especially in areas where their coverage is roughly equal.


Verizon wireless (the best company in the U.S. ) will get the iphone next year to go along with their 4G network. ATT contract is up December 31, 2009 ... So, ATT will have to worry about Verizon not T-mobile. The main reason Verizon didn't want the iphone when Apple offered it to them in the beginning was they felt they wanted a much better network to add the iphone in which they have with true 4G... Verizon is the ONLY company that actually spends money to improve their network rather than having nice looking phones . Always remember what's a phone without service? Just a nice phone.. Service over phones any day with Verizon ... Watch and see...